Missing You
by Kiki102
Summary: Seven years ago, Ziva left America and NCIS. Now living in Israel with her husband and children, she still recalls the past and the explosion. Then the phone rings... What really happened that day? Can the team find out before it's too late? TIVA, MCABBY.
1. The Phone Call

**Hey. I know I should really be updating No Ordinary Job like now, but I had the idea for this and just sort of went with it. Not sure where it will end up exactly, but hopefully it will go somewhere good! Lots of Tiva, even though it doesn't look like it to begin with. But bear with me! Everything is important, so look out for clues! Please review and let me know if this is any good or a load of rubbish. :)**

**Christina x**

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Ziva Kasher smiled, watching her daughter practise her dance for ballet class.  
"What do you think mommy?" her daughter asked eagerly.  
"Very good Annie!" Ziva replied, holding out her arms. Annie ran over, jumping onto her mom's lap. Ziva kissed her head, and hugged her daughter. At six years old, Annie was the light of her mother's life.

Their quiet moment was disrupted with the opening of their Holon home.  
"Shalom yakirati," Ziva's husband, Meir Kasher, called.  
"Shalom," Ziva replied.  
"Ima! Ima!" their two sons, Ori and Niv, cried running into the room. Annie climbed off her mom's knee, allowing her to hug her sons. Ziva kissed them both.  
"How was school?" she asked in Hebrew.  
"Good," Niv said.  
"Boring," Ori replied. Ziva smiled. Her boys may have the same birthdays and similar looks, but they were totally different. Niv had his father's dark hair, while Ori had inherited his mother's brown locks. Both had her eyes.  
"Shalom," Meir said again, entering the room, bending to kiss his wife.  
"Shalom," she replied. "How was work?"  
"Fine."

Ziva suppressed a sigh as Meir left the room. He was a man of few words. It frustrated her. For so long she had been surrounded by people with such colourful personalities who weren't afraid to make themselves heard or their views known. It may have been seven years on, but Ziva missed them. She tried to make the house as loud as possible but it wasn't the same. Even with four year old twin boys bouncing off the walls.

**XOXOXOX**

The next morning, after Meir had left for work and her children were at school, Ziva was in the shower when the phone rang. She didn't hear it over the water and there was no one else to pick it up so it went to the answering machine. When Ziva came out of the bathroom, dressed in her robe, she noticed the red light blinking at her. Before she could press the play button on the machine, the phone rang, its ring cutting through the silence like a knife.  
"Shalom?" she said answering it.  
"Hey Ziver."  
"Gibbs," she smiled, sitting down on the couch. "How are you?"  
"Can't complain. You?"  
"Good." Ziva frowned. "Isn't it the middle of the night with you?"  
"Something like that."  
"You need to get out of that basement more Gibbs," she admonished.  
"Yeah, yeah, so they tell me. How's my goddaughter?"  
"She is at school. She is growing up fast, too fast!"  
"They'll do that to ya. How's the other two?"  
"Ori and Niv? They are good. They have started school. Niv loves it but Ori says it is boring."  
"And the husband?"  
"Meir is well."  
"Good. How bout you?"  
"You asked me that already," she reminded him.  
"I know but I'm asking you again."  
"Okay," Ziva replied. "Some days are harder than others."  
"I know Ziver."  
There was a comfortable silence, then Ziva spoke.  
"Go get some sleep," she told him. "All that caffeine cannot be good for you."  
"Take care Ziva. And come home sometime soon. Take my goddaughter to visit me."  
"I will Gibbs, I promise. Shalom."  
"Shalom Ziver."

After she'd put the phone down, Ziva realised that when Gibbs had called America her home he had been right. Once upon a time Israel had been home, but that had changed. Everything had changed. But fate had intervened, and she'd returned to Israel.

It still wasn't home though.

**XOXOXOX**

It wasn't until later that Ziva remembered the message. She assumed it was Gibbs, but thought she'd better check. She pressed play. All that came through was static. Whoever it was had a very bad connection. It sounded like there was someone talking but she couldn't hear the voice or the words. She deleted it again. It couldn't have been that important. If it was, they'd call back. They did.

**XOXOXOX**

That night, the phone rang again. Ziva left her children watching the TV-Meir was working in the study-to answer it.  
"Shalom?" she said. Static, and lots of it.  
"Ziva?" It was her name, faint, but definitely her name. "Ziva?"  
She shook her head. That voice... It was impossible. It couldn't be.  
"Can you hear me? Ziva?" There was noise in the background, sounds of other people. Then, screaming, "Ziva!"

She dropped the phone like it was scalding her hand, breathing deeply. Then she grabbed it again, pressing it to her ear. But the call had ended. She replaced the phone but didn't return to the sitting room. Instead she ran upstairs to her bedroom and pulled out the box which held some of her most precious memories. She pushed old photos, a hat with a 9mm hole "for ventilation", until she found what she was looking for.

The photo was taken three weeks before the explosion. Tony... He had his arms slung carefreely around her shoulders, grinning at the camera as McGee took the picture. It was the fourth of July. They were at the park for a party. They'd been relaxed, had fun.

Three weeks later he was dead.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

**So? Cliffhanger much? Lol! :)  
**


	2. Midnight Arrival

Ziva tried to push the phone call from her mind. Tried. She failed. Badly. Tony was dead, it couldn't be him. He died seven years ago. A lifetime ago. To think it was him was simply wishful thinking, very wishful thinking. So she put the box back under her bed and returned to being a mom to Annie and her boys.  
"Time to move on," she whispered.

The next evening, Meir was late home from work, a meeting that ran late. Again. It meant she got time alone with her children but sometimes Ziva wished Meir could actually be there and spend some time with her. He was only two years older than her, but it seemed so much more at times. The funny thing? She'd seen more in her lifetime than he could ever imagine. Eventually he arrived home at seven thirty. An hour later and the family were seated at the dinner table.  
"Hey! I wanted the blue cup!" Ori said scowling at his brother.  
"I got it first!" Niv replied.  
"I'm not using the pink one!" Ori said. "It's a girls colour."  
"Suits you then!" Niv retorted.  
"Boys!" Ziva warned. "No fighting at the dinner table. Ori, I does not matter what colour cup you have, your drink will taste exactly the same either way." Ori scowled. 'And you can wipe that look off your face young man," she added.  
"Sorry ima," he muttered.  
"That's better."

When the doorbell rang, even the children looked up. It was very unusual for someone to be visiting at this time. The children were usually getting ready for bed. Meir went to get up but Ziva stood.  
"I will get it," she said.

She opened the door and audibly gasped. He looked exactly the same, a few more lines on his face prehaps, and there was scars across it that weren't there the last time she saw him, but it was him. It was undeniably him.

"Ziva," he croaked, before collapsing. Automatically she grabbed him, breaking his fall.

"Meir!" she yelled. Then, whispering, as she crouched holding him, "Tony, oh my God, Tony."

**XOXOXOX**

Ziva stared at the man she thought was dead. She cleaned the fresh cuts on his body and dressed them, strapping up his arm which didn't look broken, only strained. He was still unconscious, lying in the spare bedroom where Meir had carried him. Meir wanted answers, explanations, but she wouldn't, couldn't give them to him. Not now. So she told him to get the children to bed. He hadn't looked happy, but he'd complied. Ziva refused to leave Tony's side. How could he be here? With trembling fingers, she dialed.  
"Gibbs. What?" came the answer.

"Gibbs? Ziva."  
Gibbs had been ready to shoot whoever had just interrupted his argument with Fornell in his "conference room", but when he heard Ziva's voice he knew something was up. She sounde shaken, no more than that, she sounded practically in tears. If that husband of hers had hurt her...  
"Ziva? What is it?"  
"It is Tony. He is alive."  
"Ziva..." He should've known she wasn't fine.  
"Gibbs he is lying in front of me right now! It is Tony!"  
His head swam. DiNozzo was dead, they knew that. But... If anyone would know Tony it was Ziva.

McGee was ready to scream. He hated their probie. Hated, with a capital H.  
"I never thought I'd say this, but God I wish you were here Tony," he muttered under his breath. Collinson, that was his name, was nattering on about something completely unimportant and irrelevant, again. Across from him, at the desk that had first belonged to Kate and then Ziva, Andrea "Andi" Cameron gave him a sympathetic smile. The older woman shared his feelings about Collinson. Luckily, at that moment Gibbs and Fornell returned to the squad room.

"Fornell, case is yours," Gibbs said. Three jaws dropped. Collinson was too green to realise what this meant.  
"Boss," McGee said.  
"Jethro?" Andi asked.  
"Gibbs, what are you doing?" Fornell asked suspiciously.  
"Nothing, we've got a new case anyway," Gibbs replied. "McGee, grab your gear." Andi and Collinson moved too. "Not you too, only McGee."

"Where're we going boss?" McGee asked, following Gibbs to the elevator.  
"Israel."  
"Israel?"

Gibbs turned to his senior field agent.

"I had a call from Ziva. DiNozzo's alive."

**XOXOXOX**

Impossible. It was impossible. It was just not freakin possible! He'd accepted that Tony DiNozzo, Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, his partner and best friend was dead. Hated it, but accepted it none the less. Now, he was alive?

McGee sat back against, the canvas seat, the ones Tony had hated so much, remembering the worst day of his life. The day of the explosion.

_He stared at the rumble, the rising smoke. Beside him Gibbs and Ziva were doing the same. Disbelief, utter disbelief, expecting his to appear at any moment. Haha got you! Then Ziva screaming. Gibbs holding her, but still she screamed and cried and cried and cried. Gibbs rocked her and held her as tight as he could, understanding her pain, feeling some of it too. All he could do was stare. _

_They searched and searched, never giving up. Searching for some trace of him. But there were no remains. They found the burnt remnant of his cell phone, his scorched ID, and burnt wallet. But none of the man they all wanted back. He was dead, they knew that. He would've contacted them otherwise. No, Tony DiNozzo, man, colleague, friend, joker, movie buff, idiot, and one and only, was gone forever. Then, two weeks after the memorial service, Ziva left for Israel, never to return._

The smell of the explosion still remained in his nostrils, as it did Gibbs and Ziva's. Could Tony be alive? Was it possible? No, no. It wouldn't be him, it couldn't be.

**XOXOXOX**

Ziva held on to his hand, wishing, hoping, praying he would wake up.  
"Tony," she whispered for about the hundredth time. "Wake up, please wake up."  
"Ziva." It was so quiet, she thought she'd imagined it. But then, "Ziva." Louder this time. And his lips had definitely moved.  
"Tony? Tony please, please!" She lent forward, gripping his hand. He mumbled something inaudible.  
"What?"  
"Are you trying to take my hand off?" he replied, a grin breaking across his face. She didn't know whether to be angry or happy. When he opened his eyes she knew. She threw her arms around him.  
"Tony," she whispered, feeling his arms wrap around her.  
"Ziva."


	3. New Friend

"I thought you might be bored," Ziva said. "So I brought you this." She held up a DVD. Tony grinned.  
"Aw, Zi, you know me too well," he said. Ever since the doctor had told him to rest, Tony had been going out of his mind. He hated being stuck doing nothing, especially when there were things that needed doing. Like finding out who wanted him dead, and why they'd been trying so hard for the last seven years to kill him. And then there was Ziva. He had so many questions. But they would have to wait. Everything would have to wait.

Ziva put in the DVD, gave him a smile and the remote, then left the room again. The movie had barely started when the door opened a little. Tony frowned. A girl, she couldn't have been more than six or seven, peeked in at him. He grinned. She smiled back at him.  
"Hey," he said, before realising she probably didn't speak English.  
"Hi," she replied to his surprise.  
"You speak English?"  
"Yeah, mommy taught me so I could speak to Gibbs," the girl replied.  
"I'm Tony," he said.  
"Annie." She glanced over at the TV.  
"You wanna watch the movie with me?" Tony asked. Annie nodded, then ran forward and jumped up beside him, becoming totally engrossed in the movie.

**XOXOXOX**

"How long will he be staying here?" Meir asked.  
"I do not know, just until he has recovered enough to go home," Ziva replied. She didn't add that she didn't _want_ Tony to go home. "Can you put these on the table?" she asked, handing him six plates. Meir looked ready to object, but seemed to think better of it.  
"Why are there six?"  
"You do not expect Tony to starve do you?" she asked. Meir grumbled under his breath, irritating Ziva. Why did he have such a problem with Tony? _In a few days he will be gone and everything will be back to normal_ she thought. Except she knew that they would never go back to normal, because normal meant Tony was dead, normal meant trying to forget him, normal meant living as a wife and mother. And now, Ziva wasn't sure she could go back to that.

**XOXOXOX**

For the first time, Tony felt uncomfortable. Not because of Ziva, or her kids, but because of her husband. What was his name again? Meir, that was it. The looks he gave him were hostile. _Geez_, Tony thought_. I can't help the fact someone's been trying to kill me for the last seven years_.

He ignored Meir and turned his attention to Ziva's sons, Ori and Niv. Twin boys. Ori was like Ziva, while Niv was like Meir, in looks and personality. Then there was Annie, his new friend. Tony was quite glad that there seemed to be none of Meir in her. She happily chattered away to him in English. Ori and Niv didn't seem to know much English. But while Ori watched him intently, curious about this strange friend of his ima's, Niv looked at him with suspicion in his eyes. Tony tried smiling at him a couple of times, but Niv just looked away. In the end he gave up and talked mostly to Annie, the most willing listener.  
"What's your favourite colour?" she demanded.  
"I don't know," Tony replied.  
"How can you not know?"  
"I haven't really thought about it recently."  
"Mine's blue, which everyone say's is a boys colour but I don't care," she said. "I don't think it really matters, do you?"  
"Not at all," Tony replied, helping himself to a spoonful of pasta.  
"What's your favourite food?"  
Tony laughed. "Are you profiling me?" he asked.  
"What's profiling?"  
"Never mind," he smiled. "Pizza. Or ice-cream. Or take out."

"I love pizza," Annie declared. "Pepperoni. Ori and Niv hate it but I love it. And chocolate chip ice-cream."

"What is your job?" Meir asked, before Annie could begin her next round of questions. Tony noticed she pouted slightly, and hid a smile.  
"I'm a Federal Agent," he explained. "Before that I was a cop."  
"In, how many places was it?" Ziva teased. Tony stuck his tongue out at her. Annie and Ori giggled, but Niv scowled. What was with that kid?  
"I thought with your ninja skills you'd have memorised everything about me by now," Tony said.  
"Not everything," Ziva replied, enjoying teasing him. "Just the important things."  
"Like what?"  
"Oh like a certain undercover mission."  
Tony grinned. He knew exactly which undercover mission she meant. He noticed the look on Meir's face and decided to change the subject, not really wanting to explain that particular mission.  
"So what is it you do?" he asked.  
"Managing director of a company," Meir replied. Tony stifled a yawn. How did Ziva live with this guy? "In fact next week I am going abroad with the company."  
"Where to?" Ziva asked.  
"Somalia."

For a moment, Ziva seemed to freeze, before briefly making eye contact with Tony.  
"Have you ever been?" Meir asked him.  
"Once," Tony replied. "Not an experience I want to repeat." Both Tony and Ziva were remembering the same moment in Somalia, both trying not to let it show.

"_What are you doing here?"_  
"_Guess I couldn't live without you."_


	4. Reunion

Ziva pulled the blankets up around Annie, then bent down to kiss her daughter.  
"Goodnight," she said.  
"Night mom," Annie replied. "Mom?"  
"Yes?"  
"Is Tony my dad?"  
Ziva was instantly floored. Of all the things Annie might've asked, she would never have thought of that.  
"What makes you say that?" she asked, trying to appear calm.  
"He has my eyes," Annie said. "And you said my dad died and you thought Tony was dead. So is he?"  
"Go to sleep Annie," Ziva said. "We will talk about it tomorrow." Annie looked at her crossly, but pulled her blankets up around her shoulders again.  
"Night mom," she said grudgingly.  
"Goodnight Annie," Ziva whispered, pulling the door closed behind her. Once it was closed she stood for a moment, and breathed deeply. Her daughter was so bright and observant. How could she have figured out the truth? And more importantly, could Meir? Annie was two months old when they'd married so it wasn't as though he thought she was his, but she'd told him Annie's father was long dead. She was afraid of how he'd react when he found out the long dead man was sitting downstairs in their living room.

**XOXOXOX**

Tony sat on the sofa, his injured leg resting on the coffee table, watching the TV with a frown.  
"You speak Hebrew?" Meir asked from his armchair.  
"Nope," Tony replied. "But I'm thinking it can't be that hard."  
The doorbell rang, and Meir went to answer it, muttering in Hebrew about late night visitors.

When he opened the door, Meir knew immediately that these two were not Israeli. Two men, the older one with grey hair and blue eyes was eyeing him suspiciously, and behind him was a young man with floppy brown hair.  
"Yes?" Meir asked in Hebrew.  
"Ziva?" Gibbs called, ignoring him. He pushed past him into the house. The man McGee assumed to be Ziva's husband looked insulted.  
"Sorry," McGee said, then followed Gibbs. When in doubt, follow the boss.

Ziva ran into the living room at the sound of Gibbs' voice.  
"Gibbs!" she called. Tony sat up straighter on the sofa, twisting round to see his boss.  
"Ziva," Gibbs said, walking straight over to her and hugging her. Then he turned and stopped when he saw Tony.  
"Hey boss,' Tony grinned. Just then McGee walked in. He spotted Tony and froze. "Probie! Long time no see!"  
"Understatement DiNozzo, understatement,' Gibbs said, finding his voice.  
"Yeah, guess so," Tony said. "I would come over and hug ya both but my leg's kinda screwed so I guess it'll have to wait."

Meir entered the room, looking seriously pissed Tony noted. Ziva noticed too and took him out the room again.  
"Ziva!" he hissed angrily.  
"Meir, we need to talk," she said calmly.  
"You're right, we do!"  
"No Meir," she said and pointed back into the living room. "We need to talk. It has been seven years. Please, give us some time." Angrily, Meir stormed upstairs without another word. Ziva sighed, then returned to the other room.

Gibbs had sat down on the sofa along from Tony, and McGee was perched on the edge of Meir's armchair. She turned off the TV and sat down on the edge of the table.  
"What happened to you DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.  
"Well boss, I don't quite know," Tony replied. "One minute I'm searching that building, the next nothing. When I wake up I'm in a very small room. Then for seven years someone has been trying to kill me. Obviously they haven't been successful, yet." He grew serious. "Sometimes they'd let me go, just for the hell of it, just to see how far I got. They'd always be tracking me. Once they caught me again, they'd "punish" me for "escaping"."  
"You never saw their faces?" Gibbs asked.  
"Nope, or if I did I was too out of it to remember anything," Tony said.  
"How did you get away this time?" McGee asked, speaking for the first time.  
"Found your voice McGoo? They thought they'd finally managed it, finally managed to kill me. So they dumped my "body"." Tony grinned. "Remember the Air Force one case boss? When you made me hide in the body bag and the FBI dumped it and me when they found out?" Gibbs smiled. "Before your time probie," Tony said to McGee. "That was when we met Kate. Been thinking a lot about her lately. And Paula, and Jenny." Silence fell at the thought of their fallen colleages.  
"Didn't they check you were dead?" Gibbs asked, eventually.  
"I'm a good actor," Tony replied, grinning wickedly. He stifled a yawn. But Ziva and Gibbs both noticed.  
"Time to hit the rack," Gibbs said. Ziva nodded.  
"One of you can sleep on the couch," she said. 'The other can sleep on the floor in Tony's room." Tony grinned.  
"Come on McGee, it'll be just like camping," he said.  
"Great, I never liked camping with you," McGee said.

**XOXOXOX**

"So, what's the news at NCIS?" Tony asked, leaning his pillows against the headboard of the bed so he was sitting. "Give me all the gossip."  
"You sure you don't want to sleep?" McGee asked, sitting up on the camp bed used when Ziva's kids had sleepovers.  
"Nah," Tony replied. "Sleep's...not so great for me at the moment."  
McGee sat up, putting his pillows between him and the wall.  
"Well," he began. "Vance isn't director anymore. He quit, couldn't take the pressure. The new guy, Andrews, isn't bad. Ducky retired a year or so ago, so Palmer's the ME now."  
"The autopsy gremlin?" Tony said in disbelief.  
"Yep," McGee continued. "After you "died" and Ziva left, Special Agent Andi Cameron joined out team. She's a good agent, and a good person. We get on well."  
"Good looking?"  
"Very. Tall, slim, redhead."  
"Redhead? So does Gibbs... you know?"  
"Like her? Oh yeah," McGee smiled. "They've been together for six and a half years now. After six months of flirting and tension they got together."  
"What? Gibbs broke his own rule and no one thought to tell me?" Tony cried.  
"Tony, you came back from the dead, I think that's bigger."  
"Gibbs. Broke. His. Own. Rule. _Nothing_ is bigger."  
McGee rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he continued. "About three years ago we got Collinson."  
"That bad?"  
"You have no idea. He's not that bad an agent, but if you tell him that he thinks he's perfect. He's so annoying, worse than you."  
"What about Abby? Is she still there?"  
"Oh yeah," McGee said casually. "She's pregnant actually."  
"What?"  
"Yeah, five months."  
"Probie you didn't?"  
McGee smiled. "We got engaged two years ago."  
"Wow, looks like rule twelve's really out the window," Tony commented.  
"Tony, rule twelve went out the window years ago," McGee said dryly. "I'm going to sleep, I'm jetlagged and am kept awake every morning with Abby's morning sickness. See you tomorrow."

It wasn't until McGee was asleep that Tony wondered what he'd meant by his last comment about rule twelve.


	5. Relationships

Ziva tried to be quiet as she came into the living room the next morning, but Gibbs' super sensitive hearing woke him up.  
"Sorry," she apologised.  
"Not a problem. It's not as though I sleep a lot anyway," he replied.  
"You need to get out of the basement Gibbs," she said.  
"So they tell me, so they tell me," he smiled.

When Ori and Niv came racing down for their breakfast, they started at the sight of yet another strange man in their house, one who definitely hadn't been here the night before. Then Annie came bounding into the room. She froze too.  
"Hey Annie," Gibbs said. "How's my goddaughter?"  
"Gibbs!" she cried, recognising his voice. She threw herself at her godfather who, laughing, scooped her up to give her a hug and plant a kiss in her hair. Annie threw her arms around his neck, her hug giving Abby's a run for their money.

By the time Tony and McGee surfaced, Meir had left for work, taking the children with him to drop at school, despite Annie's pleas to her mother, begging her to let her stay home. Tony hobbled into the room, followed by a watchful McGee, and collapsed into one of the chairs at the table.  
"You are supposed to be resting your leg," Ziva scolded.  
"It's never going to get better if I don't use it," he protested.  
"It might get worse."  
Tony rolled his eyes.  
"Don't worry Zee-vah," he said. "I'll be fine."

While Tony and McGee were eating in the kitchen, Gibbs and Ziva talked quietly in the living room.  
"Have you considered that your father might be involved?" Gibbs asked.  
"Yes, he was one of the first people I thought of," Ziva replied.  
"McGee and I'll go to Tel Aviv and talk to him. I think it would be better if Tony stayed here."  
"Yes. If he went they would try to kill each other," Ziva smiled. There was a pause.  
"Does he know?" Gibbs asked.  
"No," Ziva replied. "I do not know how to tell him."  
"You'll find a way Ziver," he said. Ziva gave him a small smile. In many ways, Gibb was more like her father than her real father. He was Annie's godfather and practically her grandfather. Like Abby used to say, they were family.

**XOXOXOX**

The next morning, before everyone else was awake, Gibbs and McGee left for Tel Aviv. Tony was indignant at being left behind, and Annie was indignant that Gibbs hadn't waited to say goodbye. She was pacified only when Ziva promised Gibbs was coming back. To Ziva's relief, with the arrival of Gibbs and McGee, Annie had forgotten that they still had to have the conversation over whether Tony was her father. She was pleased to see Ori and Niv, especially Ori, relaxing around Tony. Ori went to Tony with his English homework and pointed at the words he couldn't say, and Tony would respond by saying them slowly and clearly. Ziva marveled at how Tony had changed with children. He was no longer the man who thought kids loved him, but in actual fact they didn't.

Meir on the other hand, was growing angrier by the day. Although he hadn't figured out about Tony and Annie yet, he hated Tony. The longer Tony stayed the worse it got. But Tony's leg was still too weak for him to stand or walk for long periods of time. He struggled to walk in the house, let alone outside. Ziva suspected it was more damaged than the doctor had diagnosed. What she would've given for Ducky to be there!

Meir's anger came to a head the morning after Gibbs and McGee left for Tel Aviv. Ziva was putting away clean clothes in their room when he marched in.  
"When is he leaving?" he snapped.  
"I do not know," she replied. "When his leg has improved."  
"How long will that be? A day? A week? A month? A _year_?"  
"Meir, calm down," she said, turning to him.  
"Did you sleep with him?"

Ziva was speechless.

"I do not think it is any of your business," she replied when she found her voice.  
"I'm your husband, of course it's my business," he snapped. "Well, did you?"  
"I am not telling you if I-"

Before she could finish Meir's palm struck her cheek, throwing her head to the side. Ziva was so shocked, she was unable to react. If there had been a paper clip within her reach, Meir would be in need of hospital treatment.

"I am going to Somalia with my job for two, maybe three weeks," he said, his voice like ice. "When I return I want him gone. I want them all gone." Then he strode out of the room. The front door slamming echoed throughout the house a moment later.

Still in shock, Ziva put her hand up to her still stinging cheek. Meir had never shown the slightest violent tendency before. She didn't care about herself, she could defend herself damn well, so well he would be dead if he ever tried to seriously hurt her. But if he ever, _ever_ tried to lay a finger on her children in the wrong way, he would be a dead man, and it would be a very slow and painful death. And Gibbs would be right behind her just to make sure he suffered.

Eventually she went downstairs, saying nothing to Tony who was sitting on the sofa, frowning in concentration at the TV, trying and failing to understand Hebrew. Instead she went straight through to the kitchen, trying to get her thoughts straight, about Meir, about Tony, about everything.

"Hey Ziva, do you have satellite or cable or something?" Tony's voice made her jump. 'I'm getting nowhere with Hebrew. Or subtitles. Subtitles would be good. In English, obviously."  
"No Tony, we do not have cable," she replied. Tony frowned, watching her. She was keeping her back to him and she _jumped_ when he spoke. She _jumped_, Ziva, the ninja assassin. She never jumped.

"Ziva? You okay?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe to take the weight off his leg.  
"I am fine," she snapped, leaning against the worktop. She so wasn't. He moved stiffly to her side. Then he put out a hand and slowly turned her face towards his. He took a sharp intake of breath when he saw the red mark on her cheek, then felt anger bubbling up inside him like lava.

"He hit you?" he said quietly.  
"No," she replied.  
"Ziva, I was a Baltimore cop. I know what a slap across the face looks like. Has he ever done this before?"  
"No." This time he believed her.  
"Ziva..."  
"Tony it is nothing," she said. "I can take care of myself. I am fine."

_Bull_ he thought, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. It had been so long since he'd held her and it felt so good. She didn't fight him, or pull away, she just stood there, welcoming his embrace.  
"Tony," she said eventually, moving away. He held onto her shoulders. "Tony..."  
"Ziva," he whispered. 'Shut up."

Then he kissed her, and she was kissing him back and it was like no time had passed at all and they were still young and in love and hiding it from Gibbs for fear of major headslaps.

"Tony we shouldn't," she whispered when they broke apart.

"Yeah, we _shouldn't_," he said. "Doesn't mean we won't." Then he was kissing her again and she didn't care because right there, right then she wanted and needed someone who loved her unconditionally to be there and hold her.

**XOXOXOX**

Of all the ideas he'd ever had, this probably was one of the worst good ideas he'd had. Yes he was lying next to Ziva again, but she was married and it was in another man's bed. But he couldn't regret it.

"How is your leg?" Ziva asked.  
"Better now," he grinned. She head slapped him gently. In return he grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms again. She laughed and pretended to fight, before relaxing into against his chest. Tony breathed in the smell of her hair, so familiar and comforting.

"This was a stupid idea," she said.  
"I know," he replied. "Seems I'm always falling in love with the wrong women." Ziva pushed herself back so she could look into his eyes.  
"The only reason I am married is because I thought you were dead. If you hadn't disappeared I would still be with you."  
"You don't think we would've killed each other yet?" he teased.  
"No," she replied.  
"Maybe it would be us with kids," he said almost wishfully. Ziva was silent for a moment.

"Tony," she said. "Annie...is your daughter." He looked at her and realised she wasn't joking.  
"When did you find out?"  
"The day of your memorial service," she said bitterly. "That was why I left, that and because the memories were too painful. Only Gibbs knows. I went back to America a few weeks before she was born so she would be born there. I made him her godfather since you were gone and my father is not much of a grandfather. Her full name is Antonietta."

"Does Meir know?"  
"He does not know you are her father, no," she said. "I was seven months pregnant when we met. Annie was two months old when we married." Tony was silent for a moment then bent and kissed her. "You are not angry?" she whispered.  
"Ziva you thought I was dead," he said. "How could I blame you? Well I could but it would be unfair. What now?"  
"I do not know," she replied, snuggling into his embrace. "I do not know."


	6. Memories

**Sorry for the lack of updates! I had written the next couple of chapters but I didn't like where it went so I'm changing it. Thank you for all the reviews so far.**

**Christina x**

**NCISNCINCIS  
**

Three days later, Gibbs and McGee returned, with a tall redhead in tow.  
"You must be the infamous Tony DiNozzo," she grinned, sticking out her hand. "Although I was under the impression you were in much worse shape."  
Tony grinned.  
"You must be Andi," he replied, shaking her hand.

Despite his better judgment, Tony had agreed not to tell Gibbs about Meir slapping Ziva. He really wanted to though, he wanted the man's head on a plate and knew Gibbs would gladly oblige. But this way he would get to kill him himself, something he fully intended to do if he hit Ziva again. As to Annie, nothing had changed. He loved the little girl, who bounced around the house, making everyone smile. She would be having an animated conversation with Tony or Gibbs in English one minute, then switch to rapid Hebrew the next, ordering her brothers about. His only regret was when they left, he would be leaving Ziva and Annie behind.

**XOXOXOX**

Meanwhile, Gibbs was talking to Ziva.  
"What did he say?" she asked.  
"He claimed he had nothing to do with it, and that he thought Tony was dead," Gibbs replied. "I didn't tell him where Tony was, or about Annie." Ziva smiled. Seven years on and Gibbs could still tell what they were all thinking.  
"What now?" she asked.  
"Get Abby to go over the forensics from the explosion again, find out who did this, catch them, get DiNozzo home."  
"Simple as that?"  
"Everything's simple Ziva. It's people who make it complicated."

She wished everything _was_ simple.

**XOXOXOX**

It was after midnight when she felt him slip into bed beside her and wrap his arms around her. She took one of his hands in hers and brought it to her lips. She kissed it gently then whispered, "I missed you."  
"I missed you too."

**XOXOXOX**

"Are you sure Eli David had nothing to do with this?" Andi asked.  
"Didn't seem to be lying," Gibbs replied.  
"He can be good," Andi said.  
"My gut says it's not him," he replied.  
"Then who is it?"  
"I don't know."

Andi snuggled closer and kissed him.  
"Whoever it is, you'll get them," she said. "I believe you will."

**XOXOXOX**

"You know, you're damn hard to find Ziva David," Tony said, watching her cook from his seat at the table. It was the next morning. She didn't bother to correct him on her last name.  
"Why is that Tony?"  
"Well I've been trying to find you for most of the seven years," he replied. "Finally managed to trace you."  
"That was kind of the point Tony," she replied. "I did not want my father to come after me."  
"Is that why you don't live in Tel Aviv?"  
"One reason. It holds too many memories."  
"That why you left DC?"  
Ziva didn't answer. But they both knew it was.

**XOXOXOX**

Tony threw himself into getting fit, despite Ziva's worries. Because they didn't want him to be seen, even Gibbs agreed it would be better for Tony to stay hidden, he walked circuits around the house. McGee joked that he would be wearing holes in the carpet, which earned him a headslap the next time Tony's route passed him. Being stuck inside was slowly driving Tony crazy, so it was agreed he could go into the garden, which was surrounded by a high whitewashed wall.

"Hey McGoo, come play basketball," Tony called.  
"No thanks Tony," McGee replied. "I'd rather not have you kick my ass today."  
"Aw, come on!" Tony whined. "Ziva!"  
"No way!" she replied, taking a sip of her lemonade. Then she turned to Ori and spoke to him in Hebrew. He nodded enthusiastically. "Ori will play," she said.  
"Even I'm not as cruel as to play against a kid all on his own!" Tony said. "Won't Niv join Ori?"  
"He does not like sports," Ziva replied. Beside her, Annie began fidgeting in her seat.  
"Can I play?" she asked.  
"Sure," Tony replied, looking at Ziva, who smiled and nodded. Annie jumped off her seat and ran to join her brother.

While they played, Ziva and McGee sat and watched.  
"He's changed," McGee commented quietly.  
"He was tortured for seven years," Ziva replied. "If it was anything like how I used to, then he is lucky to be alive. It shows how strong he is." McGee looked at her.  
"You really loved him, didn't you?"

Ziva was silent, thinking back. She remembered the day McGee had walked in on them, in Tony's apartment. They'd sworn him to secrecy, threatening to trap him in a car with Ziva driving before being killed with a paperclip if he so much as thought about telling anyone. Lost in thought, she forgot to answer McGee. But her silence was all the confirmation he needed.


	7. Authors Note

**Okay, first before you get excited this isn't a proper update. In fact it's not an update at all. I'm going to re-write this story and post it again because I've come up against a dead end and I want to change some things. Actually a lot of things. So I apologise. Thank for all the reviews you've given me on this but I just can't get anywhere with it like this which is why I've decided to repost. I've put in so many inconsistencies and that bugs me. Can't help it, I'm a perfectionist with writing. **

**Christina x**


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